Audio Video News

The competition is heating up in the lightweight projector market, with new models debuting almost weekly.

One of the latest and most interesting is the $5000 LS110 from InFocus Corporation, whose North American operations are based in Wilsonville, OR. The company's first foray into the home theater market, the LS110 is a serious departure for InFocus, which has long concentrated its efforts on the corporate presentation market.

The LS110 is a 6.6 lb (3kg) front projector using Texas Instrument's dual-mode Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology. Digital video enhancements are further expanded using Faroudja's Digital Correction De-interlacing (DCDi) technology, which is said to suppress image artifacts and to optimize image quality "from any video input." Compatible inputs include legacy NTSC (480i) , RGB ATSC (720p, 1080i), 576i, and 480p. All video inputs are scaled to the 480p display format.

The back panel also sports a DVI/HDCP input for digital video sources, as well as Mac and Windows PC compatible computer inputs, yielding a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels for computer graphics. USB and RS-232 inputs are also featured, for maximum flexibility with other video sources.

Brightness and contrast are excellent—1000 ANSI Lumens and 600:1, respectively—while 3:2 and 2:2 "pulldown" features make the best of film sources, and viewing fatigue is reduced through the use of a six-segment color wheel. Full motion video images are rated at 848 x 480 in 16:9 mode and 800 x 600 in 4:3 mode. The lens is a 1.2x zoom; light source is a 220-watt high-pressure mercury lamp. Knowing the LS110 would be used in homes, where industrial noise levels would be unacceptable, InFocus engineers have reduced the projector's fan noise to very low levels.

Installation flexibility is also part of the LS110's design. It can be used ceiling or tabletop mounted for front or rear projection. Digital keystone correction insures that the mounting position isn't critical. Projected images can range from a minimum of about 60" (5') diagonally to about 300" (25'). The DLP projector market arena is one of the industry's busiest, with many new models expected to debut at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show.